


Gas Pump Number Seven

by 88bullets



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Rescue Bots
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Gen, maccadam - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:47:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1831735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/88bullets/pseuds/88bullets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story traces the journey of the four remaining rescue team members as they make their way out of Griffin Rock and travel across the United States. The scenes leading up to the climax unfold slowly in a predictable, paced cadence, but don’t let that fool you, this semblance of a pattern is misleading, and the pace functions as an interesting contrast to the unpredictability of the fact set which emerges simultaneously. These curve balls will keep you hooked and make you grateful this is a series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coming, Going, Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> _Disclaimer_ : Series and characters are a copyrighted and trademarked property of Hasbro.  
>  **No profit has been made by the following material.**

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first section in this short story collection was inspired by the recent events in TransFormers Prime Beast Hunters. The catalyst for this tragedy was the mass destruction and complete Decepticon take over, as the Autobots are targeted by the opposing Decepticon force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Disclaimer_ : Series and characters are a copyrighted and trademarked property of Hasbro.  
>  **No profit has been made by the following material.**

 

Windshield wipers shoved rain left and right in a rhythmic motion making sort of high pitched thumping sound as they stretched over the expanse of the cracked and splintered windshield. Doing little in the way to albeit the torrents of water shedding from the heavens above. As a roar of wind gusted over the vehicle and rocked it on its wheels, the silence otherwise was broken by the utterance of a spoken name that was almost inaudible.

“Chase?” The young man inside the police vehicle sat up in the driver’s seat and looked at the HUD.

“Yes?” The HUD display flickered momentarily and shut off, staying off from there on out. “Graham?” Now he tried to regain the young man’s attention.

“Sorry.” He shook his head and locked his gaze onto the oncoming road straining his bloodshot eyes on the lines darting past that were blurred by the rain. As he took his hands from eleven and one o clock on the wheel and let them slide down to nine and three easing up the tension in his grip. He apologized, for what he wasn’t sure, he hadn’t wronged anyone.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Chase’s statement held a lot of weight to it as he continued to drive. “You did what you were capable of,” He paused briefly and concluded “as did all of us.”

“Hnm… I wonder how Dani and Blades are holding up?” Graham said thoughtfully as let his mind drift back to the road trying not to let his mind perpetually continue to go through the same scene.

While the two drove below, Blades flew a few yards away struggling to keep up in the heavy storm gales. He had to pitch forward to the point of being horizontal just to move forward through the wind while it worked to push him back. His pilot shoved his throttle up beyond what he was able to do. “Dani, could you ease up on my controls?!” With no response and being agitated beyond repair, he snapped at her. “Seriously I’ll drop from the sky right now, thrashing my throttle isn’t going to bring them back!” He nearly flipped backwards when his pilot removed her hand of and sent him out of control momentarily. Fortunately he regained control promptly and resumed flying after Chase. “Real nice, Dani, that was really mature. Are you trying to get us killed now too? It’s bad enough the weather is against us.”

“I’m mad”, Dami exclaimed throwing her hands into the air, “We couldn’t do shit! Face it we’re probably not going to make it to that base in Utah either. I bet they’re going to find us and kill us before we even get there. Look at what they did to Griffin Rock, to Nevada; Utah is right next to Nevada! Why are we even going there?! Are there even any Autobots left?!” She was hysteric as she withdrew into herself after letting her emotions explode pulling her arms down over her chest and folding them to shut out the world around her.

If he could have he’d have slapped some sense into her. Dani was generally the one that had held it together through thick and thin although he didn’t believe in any form of violence and he’d talk her out of this even if it used up all of his patience. “Calm down Dani we will make it. I promise. They stayed behind so we could make it out and I can’t imagine there aren’t other Autobots. Why would agent Fowler tell us to come to Utah of all the places? I am sure there are other survivors out there and I bet they are all there. There have to be, we can’t be the only ones.” He would like to hope so too, but what if they were? Then what would they do and what were they going to accomplish going to the military base in Utah right next to new enemy territory? Sure there were survivors out there scattered to the wind, but on here on Earth? They haven’t heard from team prime since the attack on Nevada and going to a base so far away from their location fleeing from one hot spot to another didn’t sound very smart at all.

Chase slowed as he tried to capture Blades in his side mirror, bending it here and there until the copter-bot came into view. “If it weren’t for the fact that we tried contacting Optimus and left our communication lines insecure none of this would have ever happened.” He reduced his speed when it became clear the Blades was unable to keep up with current weather condition’s affecting his flight.

“Chase how would any of you have known that the Decepticons would have tracked your communications and come to attack us? You shouldn’t blame yourself for this; none of us saw it coming.” Graham shut his eyes and placed his head on the top of the steering wheel, eyes too dry to shed another tear as pulled his body back up again after taking a moment to collect his wits. He then let his eyes wander over Chase’s dash board that his father use to sit behind, all those times his father probably sat here thinking in the same spot talking to Chase, now all that remained were his memories and the faint smell of his father’s aftershave.

Chase drove in silence for a while, at a loss for words and regulations that were applicable in such cases, but spoke again once it came to his processor. “Our lack of preparation for a possible attack when we knew there was a war lead our poor response, which lead to pay the ultimate sacrifice for many on Griffin Rock. We have failed the Island, and ourselves.. had we followed proper protocol for war related communications none of this would have happened.”

“Chase the Decepticons could have discovered us through some other information. Who’s to say they didn’t find out before you tried to contact the other Autobots?” Graham did his best to play devil’s advocate to remove the blame from them. However their conversation was suddenly cut short by the sound of metal behind them getting struck after a flash of light that jetted overhead, followed by a clap of thunder right above that rumbled shortly after, followed by a deafening silence.

Chase immediately threw on his breaks sending him and his passenger into a violent spin as his wheels slid on the slick pavement while he desperately tried to regain traction he finally came to a stop facing the road in the wrong direction. Graham discombobulated from it all stumbled out after giving Chase’s battered car door a hard slam. Chase quickly transformed and held his servo out to prevent Graham from going forward on reflex. However Graham hadn’t moved an inch being too stunned to even if he wanted. He was already assessing the situation thinking up the best solution for the situation sprawled out before him from where he stood.

“Please don’t stand there and stare at me. Get me down before I die!” Blades exclaimed while smoke rose from his tail and he hung from his main rotors that lay atop the overhead wires.

“God.” That’s all Graham could say as he kept staring at Blades current blunder.

“No offense Graham, but I fail to see how your ‘God’ is going to help us now,though it would not go unappreciated.” Chase added as he looked to Graham and looked back on at his friend with a worried face. Graham didn’t comment on what Chase said as he placed his hands on his face taking off his glasses while drawing in a long deep breath. Slowly he walked over to the copter-bot to assess the damage and Blades by some stroke of luck, if you could call it that, had managed to only catch his rotors above the wires. Which in turn kept him suspended as he precariously hung from them. “I’m going to look for a power box Blades so we can get you down! I can’t get you down I mean so Chase,” He bumbled momentarily and decided to cut himself off before he wasted any more time clarifying what they knew what he meant. “I’m just going to go look for the power box. Don’t go anywhere!” He bumped the front of his for head with his hand and spoke to himself: “I can’t believe I just said that.” As he walked away repeating, “I can’t believe I just said that” to himself a few more times.

Blades only watched and listened to Graham while he waited staying completely still. Something dawned on him though while he ignored the damage done to his tail or the fact that he was suspended by live wires that could electrocute him at any moment. “Graham, why didn’t you ask about your sister? She’s fine by the way, just angry, but she was already angry so that’s not new. Are you two having one those sibling moments?”

“What, no and I really didn’t need to ask when I can see her sitting there flipping me off. Why, I don’t know, but I don’t think I want to know either.” Graham added at the end noticing that Blades probably would have told him the why and in great detail too. Stalking back now soaked down to the marrow as his cloths clung to his body uncomfortably. He continued to look for the power box to shut the power off within the electrical lines. Once he found the power box on a telephone pole a few yards away he called upon Chase to assist him in his task in reaching the power box to shut off the power. “Chase could you left me up so I could reach the power box and shut off the power?”

“Yes of course, right away.” Chase who had been interested in helping and yet had to stand-by due to the nature of the problem promptly came upon Graham’s request and held his servo out for the young man to step into. He commented on how strange he found the telephone poles to be to make small talk with Graham and fill the void the silence was creating while he held him in the palm of his servo. “I’ve never seen electrical lines above ground, is there a particular reason for that?”

Graham who was now standing in the center of Chase’s servo and wiped his matted wet hair out of his face, while he pulled out a screw driver from his tool belt he answered with his back turned. “Yes, electrical wires use to be built above ground before the development of underground wiring and in most areas of America they have not been antiquated with the newer technology to bring them underground.” While jimmying the power panel box open with a screw driver going silent again and focusing his attention on the wires and nodes inside after the box popped open.

Chase in turn nodded and hymn back to what Graham told him as he continued to hold him up to the power box panel and watched the young man work diligently disconnecting wires with a pair of pliers he had just pulled out of his tool belt. He decided to ask another question. “So do you know why they haven’t placed them underground now if they know how to?” Not knowing the full veracity behind the bureaucratic system that made up the town management, city, and state that went into the decision making behind this.

“In particular,” Graham asked and answered at once, “no, not really. Although my guess would be money, it costs a lot to take down the old wiring system, remove the poles and dig up the ground to insert lines underground. Oh and then there are politics. Anyway, the power should be off now.” He said turning back to face the cop-bot, slipping in his palm a moment later and landing on his butt.

Chase would have inquired more about this if it weren’t for what the young man had just said that troubled him and the fact that he just slipped. If his understanding of politics on Earth was anything like the council back on Cybertron though it left him with a pretty good idea as to what Graham was going with that. Which brought him to ask the more important question, “should be off; you mean you aren’t sure,” as he set Graham down on the ground below.

“I’m mostly sure.” Graham replied back and adjusted the glasses on his face after getting off Chase’s servo.

“That’s not very reassuring.” said Chase as he wearily went to approach Blades.

“If I were to say; yes, would that make it better for you?” Graham now followed alongside the cop-bots stride taking many more quick steps to keep up with his long stride.

“Your yes would only be an impromptu response to my appropriate fear of getting electrocuted while helping Blades down. So no, it wouldn’t, but I will have to hope that you have sufficiently shut off the power to the lines.” He then ordered Blades to open up his canopy and relinquish Dani. “Blades I need you to let Dani out first encase anything goes wrong.” The drop was considerably high from where Blades hung and how his canopy opened so once again Chase had to offer up his servos this time for Dani to step into.

“Are you alright?” Graham asked as Dani stepped out of Chase’s servos and walked over to her brother.

“Fine, but I can’t say the same for Blades. I don’t think he can fly now.” Dani said as she crossed her arms.“Without the use of his tail rotor we can’t fly.” Without the use of Blades tail rotor the torque from the main rotors would cause the copter bot to spin in a circle and have disastrous side effects some such as further damaging his already damaged tail rotor.

“I’m right here you know, it’d be nice if you didn’t speak about me as if I weren’t. I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Blades chimed in as he came down onto his landing skids with a splat into the cold wet ground. “Ouch.”

“Sorry” Chase apologized for his friend’s painful landing that aggravated his new injury.

“Never mind, it’s that bad. Lightening and flying do not mix.”

“That hit you?” Graham turned his attention from his sister back to Blades who was getting off the ground now.

“Yes; do you think I really fly that poorly?” He asked in disbelief and laughed once. “Pftch, even I know how to avoid giant poles with wires jetting out of the ground!” Then he became very sullen all at once. “Sadly Dani is right, I don’t think I can fly though.” He had said with shame while he sat back looking at the guide rotors in his ankles pulling out a few broken pieces. “Primus, could I possibly be a little more useless?” He asked aloud to no one in particular.

“Don’t say that Blades.” Dani said in unison with Chase, they shared a quick glance with one another afterwards.

“I don’t even like flying!!!” Blades cried out. “What good is this alt mode when the smallest things render it useless?! I’d be better off transforming in a giant paper weight. At least that way sitting like a useless lump would be part of my description!!!” Blades only escalated in his dismay going so far as to break out into his full native language. Passionately explaining how he felt about everything ranging from his current alt mode to his inability to save the other members of the Burns’ family and his team mates.

“I was wondering when he’d finally snap.” Dani whispered to Graham. “He’s been way too…” She rolled her hand to finish her sentence.

“Calm?” Graham asked whispering as well. “You’re surprisingly insensitive considering what we’ve gone through. Sometimes I think you are worse than Kade.” His voice died in his throat, even Blades stopped mid rant and watched how both remaining Burns’ (children) stood there staring at one another, Graham with his hand over his mouth. If ever there was a wrong choice of words to use here and now was the time.

Chase transformed and threw his doors open as an unspoken invitation and topic change. Standing in the rain wasn’t getting any of them any closer to the military base out in Utah. “Blades, transform and I’ll drive with you on top of my roof.”

“As nice as that is of you Chase, I don’t think that will work.” Blades replied while he looked up.

“The alternative is for me to carry you.”

“Given how we’re not supposed to walk around in biped mode off the island that doesn’t really work.”

It was awkward at first, but eventually after several failed attempts as well a few complaints made during the process, Blades sat transformed back into his damaged alt mode on top of Chase’s roof. “I’m not going to lie, that is really awkward looking. Is it wrong that I want to laugh?” Graham only stared at his sister with distaste although with all things considering some small part of him found the image amusing.

“Dani, considering that I’d probably laugh if I saw me right now, though I can’t attest for Chase’s amusement in this.” Blades hoped that this would be one of those moments he looked back on and laughed, although the likelihood was slim to none.

Chase made no remark on the matter and patiently sat under the weight while dialogue was exchanged. “Are you going to be alright?” Graham asked as he placed his hand on the side of Chase’s frame.

Dani walked around to the other side and apologized to Blades and Chase instead of getting inside. She noticed that Blades had pulled his servos out of his landing skids to secure himself to Chase’s roof. Lightly she ghosted her hand over the one closest to her in a short sympathetic gesture and exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding until that moment.

Together Graham and Dani got within Chase and closed his doors. Silently they sat as Chase moved inch by inch and revved his engine as he tried to move forward. Chase finally spoke and cut his engine. “Blades I regret to inform you that I am unable to drive with your added weight on top of myself. I am sorry.” With that option exhausted now he sat on his wheels disappointed, trying to turn over possible solutions to transport Blades.

“It’s alright Chase, you tried,” Blades immediately dismounted by pushing one of his skids down and rolled off to one side of Chase. Looking much like a child’s discarded play thing left on its side to be forgotten.

“We’ll call a flatbed.” Dani stated when she paused for a moment.

“How?” Graham replied and then countered his own argument. “Well I suppose the service information line might still be operational.”

“Pst, psssst, Chase… Chaaaaase, What are they saying?” Blades inquired before he transformed and went about mending his damaged tail rotors.

“They’re suggesting a tow truck.” Chase said flatly as he went back to listening to the two that conversed inside him.

“How humiliating, but it beats sitting here”

“Only problem is how are we going to call a towing service when we’re way out in the middle of nowhere?” Dani asked as she turned to face her brother.

“My cell phone of course, what else?” Said Graham, like it was obvious as he fished it out from his side pocket.

“I didn’t know you had yours with you.”

“I always keep mine on me; you never know when you might need it.”

“I’m so use to our com-links I haven’t touched mine in a while. So do you have service?”

“Yep, not much though, and not a lot of power for it either. Too bad I didn’t take Doc Green up on his offer on his solar powered battery pack and I didn’t bring my cord either.”

Graham flipped through the phones saved contacts and placed the call through once he found the appropriate phone contact. At first he didn’t think the phone was connected and he jumped in his seat when the automated answer system replied back loudly inquiring what service provider was required. He tapped the phones volume down and asked for a list of flatbed tow lines and prices in his location. Only three companies were listed, the closet being five hours away. He committed the number the service gave him to memory and then hung up and dialed the number for the company and requested a truck and specified what they were going to pick up, getting one of the largest trucks on the companies sight which would require a bit more time and money. Graham agreed to the estimated price and then gave the location. When he was done with the call he sunk back into the driver’s seat and looked over at his sister. “How are we going to pay for this?”

“I have the emergency credit card dad gave me in my back pocket with my wallet.” Dani replied to her brother.

“You sure you have that still?”

“Let me check. That wouldn’t be good if I didn’t.” As she stated the obvious while she opened Chase’s door to gain better access into her back pocket. Pulling out a thin brown wallet that comprised of her pilots license and several other cards tried to make a break for it as she looked through her wallet. “Yes I still have it.” She said as she put it away and placed the wallet away. “At least it stopped raining.” She said while she walked around Chase and noticed that one of his head lights hung out exposing an array of complex parts that would not be found in your average police vehicle. She picked up the light that hung out, causing Chase to turn his wheels to her. “Don’t worry I’m just going to push this back in.”

Meanwhile Graham stepped out of Chase stumbling out once again with all the grace in the world as he caught his jacket on Chase’s bent door. Chase was nice about it though and said nothing, even though he clearly winced at the unnecessary pull on the already damaged door. “Oh geese I’m sorry Chase.”

“It’s alright.” Between the two humans he felt entirely uncomfortable and out of his element he could tell Blades was looking at him out of pity only adding to this feeling of discord. He tried to ignore them, but to no avail.

Graham looked over at Blades who waved him back over to Chase who was in worse shape than himself.“Don’t worry about me. It looks worse than it actually is. Chase, you okay?” Blades would have gone through great overtures just to sit himself next to Chase if need be to get a better idea on his compatriots status. However he already had an idea and asking was in futility because Chase would feign better health than to revile how he truly felt and wouldn’t let allow any assistance if offered.

“I’ve been worse.” Chase replied and with that he jerked on his wheels when Dani pushed the front light back in with loud audible crunch. The light fell back out to make matters worse a bit of energon started to trickle down the connecting lines to it.

“That sounded painful. Is there anything I can do to help?” Blades said as he looked on and saw Dani’s dismayed expression.

“No. It’s only an external wound it will mend itself in a few clicks.” Chase spoke with a bit of a bite behind his words. Graham had left the side of Chase’s door to see what happened to his light. Dani quickly pulled out a cloth from her lower pant pocket and cupped it around the bottom. “I’m so sorry Chase.”

“Would you do a favor for me? Could you please make sure there’s nothing caught behind my head light?”Asking as nice as possible provided how Chase felt at the given moment and he wasn’t nasty when something went amiss. However this was just one more thing added to the long list of things that steadily kept growing. If his patience were quantifiable, he was down to his remaining five percent and he was getting dangerously close to blowing a gasket at the whoever robbed him of his remaining percentage. Though there he sat patiently speaking only when need be lest he misdirect his frustration at an innocent bystander.

“Of course Chase. Could you pop your hood open?” Dani asked feeling terrible for causing Chase more discomfort considering he was in enough already regardless of what he said.

Chase complied with the request, but it became clear that the way regular vehicle structures applied were not the case here. Nothing within the hood depicted where the back of where Chase’s headlight ended, although many intricate parts spun, beat, and carried signals everywhere. Looking like a combination of living internal body parts made out of machinery which was exactly what it was. Although one thing seemed out of place a short four inch metal piece that looked like what was the back of an eye. Dani winced looking entirely nauseated by the entire thing. Graham lightly tapped his sister’s shoulder and tilted his head for her to move to the side.

“Oh”, Dani said as she scooted to the side and watched what her brother did.

“Hold still Chase, you have something penetrating your light.” Graham was grateful that Boulder had informed him of some of the working anatomy of the Cybertronian body. As he pulled out a pair of pliers and knelt down in front of Chase. “Sorry if this hurts.”

“I have a first aid kit within my trunk, would you mind pulling it out?” Chase asked he knew this was going to require more than just pulling out stray scrap metal. As he popped his trunk open feeling the weight of the kit lifted out slowly by Dani.

Graham reached his hand behind the cords and wiring of the headlight and pressed his pliers in, placing his other hand on the side of Chase’s front for support. He clamped the pliers around a cylindrical object that had been pushed in deeper by Dani’s well intentioned help. He pulled back on the pliers with a bit of difficulty before pulling out the offending addon.. Almost immediately the hole left behind from the metal pulled out started to leak. Graham gently applied the cloth his sister had left behind and looked over his shoulder to see his sister, who had Blades behind her telling her which objects to pull out and how to apply them. He had scooted himself over to the side of Chase while keeping pressure on the leak.

“Just use that one to seal it.” Blades told Dani.


	2. Indecisive Roads

The lights hung low in the dinner and shined dimly as the waitress stood in the corner and smacked her gum with her big yellowed dentures. The music from an era long since past and the place looking equally outdated as the fan overhead wobbled. While Graham sat in the corner of the booth seat facing out the window watching the cars pass by beyond Chase who sat in the parking lot and Blades on the flatbed taking up a couple of spots. He'd never thought that their alt modes could express any emotion until now. As he stared out at the pair he could have sworn they were staring back at him. He inhaled and turned away bothered and ashamed to be bothered, and chose to stare into his glass of water instead. His hands trembled when he thought about the sound that left Chase when they treated him. Pain, no matter what species you were, a cry of pain was still a cry of pain and when he thought about what it they were equivalently doing he imagined someone tearing into his own foot and grimacing. Snapped out of his daze the moment a woman walked up to him.

"What's eattin' at cha kid?" The waitress said as she flipped open her order pad and looked around. "Hey weren't yer sista here just few moments 'go?" The woman asked as she leaned over the table and looked outside at the vehicles. With no response she figured she'd ask about the vehicles in the lot. "I ain't never seen a stranger thing. A copta and a coppa sittin' in the parkin' lot tagetha. Wha happened ta the car, look's like its right outta that attack that happened in 'Vada." She pulled back up and figured the young woman probably went to the bathroom. "I'll be back when yer sista gets back, but what can I do ya for kid?" She said looking down at Graham.

"Huh, oh sorry I'm not, I wasn't going to order anything I was just waiting for my sister to come back from the restroom while our tow truck driver-where did he even," Graham had many lines of thought crashing into one another coming off off as aloof and/or very confused.

"Nah kid, this one's on ol' Bertha, yer lookin' like ya could use a hot meal, how's about I gets you and yer sister a mug of Rossie's Famous cocoa and bowla Chilly it's the best ya'lla have out here." She didn't give him a chance to say no either as she walked away writing out the order and calling back to the kitchen handing them the sheet of paper. "Hey Jimmie," she called back into the order slot.

"Oh hey sis, I hope you're hungry." Graham sat up when his sister came back.

"Why, you ordered food didn't you?" Dani looked frustrated. "I am, but I don't want to spend any more money than need be, it's bad enough I got my period and had to buy stuff."

"I really didn't need to know that." He replied while shutting his eyes while his face scrunched up in disgust. "Also I didn't, the waitress came up and told me she was giving us a meal on the house. I didn't get a chance to say no."

"Well I don't want to be rude, so I guess we're eating I just feel bad about it."

"Same, I wonder if the bots are … "

"I wasn't even thinking about that. They look miserable out there." She said feeling like such a heal.

"Who now?" The waitress had walked in to their conversation and set two cups of cocoa down in front of them.

"Uhh," the two looked at each other worried.

"If ya' got a pet with ya that's needin' food send the little guy in we don't 'scriminate'gainst 'em." Said Bertha as she smiled and looked outside trying to see if she could see animal in the vehicles parked outside unaware the two came in the police car and copter that sat outside.

"Oh uh, heh, uhm we were uh talking about our," Dani kicked Graham's foot under the table, unable to come up with a lie on the fly.

"Virtual pets." He wasn't slow to the draw and pulled his foot back too so she couldn't do that again. "Yeah, we absolutely love our virtual pets, we left them at home and we're supposed to feed them you know like real pets." Graham tensed up expecting her to call them out for lying, Dani was even looking at him with that I could have come up with something better look.

"Ohh, aha, how cute, my grandson he's got himself onea theme tomigocci pets orwhateva they call them things these days. I remember kids having real pets, but hey who am I to judge. Certainly cheaper than the real deal." She said to the two of them and turned away. "Oh yer chilly dishes should be ready real soon. Maybe five minutes, I'll get you some crackers." With that she left.

"That was close." Graham whispered.

"We're just lucky we got a nice old lady who can't see past your terrible lying skills. What was that? I could have even done a better job." Dani whispered back to him and looked at the cocoa which looked surprisingly good and took a sip. "This is really good."

"Is it?" He asked passively as he looked back out the window wondering what Chase and Blades were talking about, if they were talking at all. It was likely they weren't since they had gotten into an argument before the flatbed arrived. Then, at least while he and his sister were with Chase before they pulled over to get directions they hadn't said a word to one another.

"Don't worry Graham I'm sure they'll be alright. They're like family; they get into arguments like us and probably over them just as fast. Hey, remember that time when Kade took Elli after I borrowed his baseball bat and hid it because I accidently broke it? Then, we wouldn't talk to each other for a week and we kept running out of the room if either one of us were there first."

"Yeah, and dad had to talk to you both and gave you a new baseball bat to give to Kade so he wouldn't know you broke it, but then he found out anyway. Mom was still around too right?"

"Yeah? Oh yeah, before she went to tour in Iraq. That was right after Cody was born right?"

"I think so, I can't remember, I didn't really pay attention. I think you remember more than I do, I was too busy trying to date my textbooks."

"Yeah you never really left your room unless it was to eat."

"Heya kiddos, sorry ta interrupt." Bertha cut in with two bowls. "I found that driver of the tow truck outside said he'd commin' join ya so y'all could leave togetha. I didn't know those were yer vehicles outside. Where are your parents though, aren't cha a bit young to beheadin' ta Utah without yer parents?" She noticed two of them with sullen expressions after that and realized she said something wrong. "Sorry, din' meanta pry. Enjoy yer chilly, sorry for disturbing' y'all." Bertha left them to be quickly and retreated into the kitchen where the cooks were.

"I sort of took for granted how everyone on Griffin Rock knew us and never asked," Graham said as he took a bite out of this so-called legendary chilly.

"We'll probably never see her again, and it's a fairly normal question, I mean most people have parents." 'I'm old enough to be married and she thought I was a child.' Dani looked up from her bowl noticing their tow truck driver walking over to them taking a seat beside them.

"Yo, hope I'm not interrupting anything. I've got the meter on hold since I thought it would be kinda crummy of me to charge ya for not knowing my way around. I got a map though and I'm going to be outside in my truck studying it. You two enjoy your chilly and I'll be outside waiting."

Graham acknowledged their driver with a short reply, "Okay, thanks Hank," giving him half of a head nod before poking back at his bowl.

 

* * *

 

Rain trickled down against the glass on Blades' canopy as he sat in the rain. He occasionally would adjust the Cathy doll he'd taken on from a previous mission that now sat in his back seat by using a near by seatbelt to poke and prod it into the right place on his seat, but it continued to fall over saying various things in the process. Though it was never the same thing, it had quite the array of things to say most of them appropriate to how it felt. Sometimes it made him smile when he was alone, though it gave him an odd feeling of attachment, which was only because it was an inanimate object. Though the first thing it said to him was I love you. There was something in those three words that when spoken, no matter inanimate or not, he could not out right ignore.

Without even realizing it he was opening his cockpit up for Dani, he could always tell when she walked up to him. It was never a conscious thing he could hear her footsteps that fell in a particular way, could pick up on the perfume though dampened by the rain wafting in his direction, but what was this? Something was amiss. "Dani, what's the matter? What's wrong with your optics? They're..leaking." He inquired softly as if going a decibel louder would break her or do something to cause harm.

"I don't want to talk about it." Dani dug her palms into her eyes and clawed away at her tears. There was a reason she didn't wear make up, she could recall that now, but it didn't matter it wasn't as if she'd had any preparation to plan for what had occurred. So far she'd been alright, but the better part of her emotions had finally caught up with her as she was taken over bygrief. Hunched forward, she broke down into tears where she sat.

Blades didn't know what to make the situation, let alone how to help. 'Is she injured, there's… blood on her, but I don't think so. Humans are so … complicated. Especially the women.' "D..Dani? I? I can't help you if you don't talk to me… Please, is ..is there anything I can do?" 'I hate seeing her like this, I don't know what this even is, but it's .. it's very upsetting.' His partner rarely ever displayed any of her feelings openly to him, a few times when Cody was around, but nothing ever like this. Though it wasn't as if he'd never seen this sort of behavior before, once or twice on the occasional call that required the body bags and a hysteric onlooker, but several elements were missing from the equation now. The behavior would have made more sense several hours ago, what was actually almost a day now? He'd lost track… Often he'd see either the Chief or one of the burns offer the victims family members a hug, but in his current state he couldn't. What he could offer was his seat belt, it wasn't much, although he carefully flexed it out and made an attempt to dab away a tear.

"What are you," Dani was startled before she realized the motive behind the gesture, as she gently took the belt into her hands and rest her face against it. "Thank you." Silence filled the canopy, all, but the sound of the rain remained as the two sat as Blades remained on the flat bed. The occasional swoosh of a car driving down the highway through the rain broke through the silence his canopy otherwise provided. It had been nearly an hour before Dani suddenly sat up startled, startling her partner in the process of sitting up quickly. "Sorry… I.. I must have fallen asleep."

"It's alright, I assumed as much. Do you feel better?" It was probably not one of the smarter things Blades had inquired of his partner because bringing up the subject might have drudged up the entire incident. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that back up." 'Whatever that was,' he thought to himself.

"It's fine. I'm alright..now," replied Dani as she remained where she sat. She shivered as it was cold and Blades' interior did nothing to warm her up even though he was just as alive as she is. "Are you cold?"

"Not really, I mean… I'm sort of use to it. It's not that bad out here. It's a bit wet though. Oh… are you?" 'I know I have one of those smallish tarps humans like to use. Let's see ... where...it ... is.' He successfully pulled out a blanket that had been stashed away under one of his seats, and by articulating the various seatbelts within his cabin, looking quite demonic had anyone been watching, brought the blanket over her, tucking it around her gently.

Quite surprised by the action and amazed by the dexterity of the intricate parts that made up her partner's interior she sat in muted awe. Despite all the time she'd spent with Blades, Dani had never seen him do anything quite like that. Or might she have never noticed he could articulate such things and had never been paying him full attention until this moment? She really didn't know as she lay on her side in awe over her partners abilities. "Hmn?"

"Yes, Dani, what is it? Would you like me to try and pull my seat back for you?" Blades knew they didn't bend that way, not like an automobiles anymore, even though he was able to articulate in ways most vehicles didn't some of how his frame was now configured made for certain things near impossible, but he could always squish an organ or two for a night. What was one night with a herniated disk, pinched line, or a miss aligned pipe? If his partner was comfortable at least it would make one of them, he could put up with the pain if he had to. At it was he could tell she was in pain by the way, she was clutching her lower abdomen. Without giving her time to protest he shifted around and stifled sounds of discomfort as he tried. He could feel Chase looking on, no doubt noticing his electro magnetic field broadcasting his minor physical duress. "There… t..that feels better right? D..Dani? Dani?" She was eerily silent and he couldn't tell if that was because he knocked his audial sensors, or if she died. A terrible thought crossed his processor that he'd moved everything in the wrong direction and crushed her to death without even realizing it. Whatever distress he was broad casting before was ten fold now as his anxiety flew to heights unknown.

Chase, despite his upset with Blades and for that matter the majority of the past twenty five hours, three minutes, and twenty five seconds couldn't ignore him. Though if there were people around he'd have to weigh the risks of mentioning anything at all. The only person around was Dani, Graham remained in the motel room that they'd as he'd put it, "shacked up at," for the night as was their flatbed driver. "Blades, while I'm still not talking to you, I cannot with sound mind ignore the alarming fluctuation in your em field. Is something wrong?"

'If you're not talking to me then, wait what?' "That was the most idiotic thing I've heard you say in a long time," at least that's what he would have said, but the thought was stashed to the side for another time. "Chase, Dani isn't moving… I don't even think she's breathing. I..I think I killed her."

'Surely he cannot be serious, he has to be mistaken.' "Blades, I'm certain you have not done any such thing to your partner and that you were as Chief Burns would have said, were dreaming." Something they were not quite capable of, though they did rehash events from the past and review old data they did not imagine new data, at least he did not and could not thus fathom anyone else, aside Blades, who at this point he would not put anything past. Though his words did not make a dent, if anything his saying anything at all had made things worse. Slowly he drove in reverse and surveyed his soundings before transforming quickly and bending around to peer into Blades' cockpit past the canopy that kept the rain away from Dani. The minor movement of her shoulders moving as she breathed indicated she was alive and well, just in sleeper mode. "She powered down. That's all." With that he stepped back before giving Blades' skid a hesitant pat. "Maybe you should try to do the same. We might not need as much as they do, but you cannot go into auto repair when you're still online." And it went without say they were a long way away from any medic or stasis pod that would aid in repairing his tail.

 

 

* * *

 

Light from the world outside glinted along the seams and cracks along Blades and unveiled the damages the dark of the night sky concealed last night. Blades stifled a yawn and flexed on his skids rolling the stiff joints around as he powered up for the day. "Morning…"

Dani sat up and stretched, "Good morning," she yawned out motioning for her partner to open up and let her out. As she stepped out she could feel her body complain for the way she'd slept as they resettled. "You can get up and stretch if you want, no one's around."

Shifting a little before speaking, Blades wearily inquired, "Are you sure? What if someone sees me"?

"I think you're safe, it's five in the morning. The sun's barely risen I don't think anyone will notice. I want to see how your ankle's looking." Dani looked around and saw a few cars parked around the motel, all of the occupied rooms with their shades pulled, and by the looks of it even Chase was asleep. 'Funny …' She thought even though she couldn't see his face she could pick up on some of the things they did in their vehicle modes now just by being around them. A glint of life she was accustomed to seeing was altered when they were asleep like them they appeared quite peaceful when they were resting. She walked off the flat bed and winced. "I'll be right back I … need to take care of something."

"O-kay," Blades opted not to transform while she was away despite wanting to now that, the mention of doing so was brought up and stretching properly seemed so alluring. "Hey Chase?" He waited a moment for a response, but none came. 'Did he power down?' "Pst, Chase." All that got Blades was a strange garbled sound from his colleague. "If that was suppose to be Cybertronian, I didn't understand it." Still no response, but he could tell he wasn't being ignored now. "Guess he's really out." 'I know he'd jump if he thought there's an emergency, but I'm not going to force him to power up just for the heck of it. Ah there's Dani..' Without realizing it he perked up.

"You look like a dog when you do that," Dani commented on Blades' psychical response to her return.

"A wha-oh, wait what did I do?" It took him a moment to realize he'd perked up and cant forward like a canine eager to play and Blades laughed at that sinking backdown. Embarrassed for being so obvious. He just didn't care to be alone.

Dani returned with her hair mated to her head evident she'd taken a shower. As she walked back she came up to Chase first and crouched down in front of him, placing a hand on his hood as she did thoughtfully. 'Asleep still, lucky, I don't blame you. You deserve it.' She got back up leaving his side, a small dent on his side drew her attention for a moment before she looked back over to Blades. 'I wonder if he had that dent before, I'll ask him when he wakes up I guess.' While she thought to herself she climbed back up onto the lift and removed the chains meant to hold Blades down onto the flat bed. "There you go, just remind me to put those back on so Hank doesn't notice." 'It would be hard to explain why I wanted to let my helicopter stretch.' She laughed quietly to herself as she imagined the reaction that would get.

"Alright, hope this isn't a bad idea." Blades had been in his vehicle mode for so long his legs cramped as he brought them down. "Augh," he groaned the whole way through his transformation each movement less forgiving than the last. Everything was cramping on him now. Most especially his neck, "I defiantly recharged on something wrong, my everything hurts,' he whined.

Graham yawned as he exited the check out desk area holding the door open for their flat bed driver. "I'll wake up Dani, so we can get ahead on the traffic. I'm sure she'll understand … the", the first thing he noticed was Blades and he immediately tried to yank Hank's attention by dropping something. Sadly it would have to be his phone that he hoped would survive the fall.

Hank came out of the motel with a coffee in hand, attention half diverted to Graham who walked beside him. "All ready to go when you are, we just need to wait fo-…" He froze in his tracks and starred up, the phone going a miss and if the fall hadn't killed it the coffee dropped on it surely did the trick. "That's a giant robot…" He turned his head to Graham and repeated himself, "That's a giant robot ... stretching. On. The. Back. Of. My. Truck." He stared in awe for a few seconds, which felt more like a few hours. It wasn't any regular robot either, it was stretching, it was talking, it was talking a lot actually and yawning. At a loss for words he stayed in place and in an empty motion rose his empty hand to bring his coffee to his mouth only to realize he'd dropped it and unfortunately on the kid's cell. "Crap kid, sorry…" he picked up the phone and wiped it off on his pant leg not getting very far, the screen was cracked and it looked shot, but the thing bounced back to life once more before dying out together. With the abstract of reality being as it were, the only thing he could process was dealing with the broken phone. "I'll uh, yeah … what is that?"

Blades whipped around to see Hank was starring dead ahead at him like he was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. By all right he probably was, though the look he received did not make him feel any better. It was the look someone gave a strange new animal they'd never seen before. It sent chills up and down his spinal strut as the man's eyes analyzed every little thing, what stood out the most was their judgmental gaze. Unknown, predetermined thoughts were being sent his way over the span of the parking lot directed straight towards him. The eyes of the man transfixed on his optics, bore right into his spark. 'I don't appreciate what he's doing, why is he staring at me like that? I feel so undressed. We're not in Maine anymore, Griffin Rock's been destroyed,' His mind tauntingly reminded him as he sat there feeling his own optic reservoirs mimicking something similar to Dani's. It was strange, bots could not cry ... could they? 'I forgot what it's like for people not to be use to us like outsiders.'


	3. Intermission

“So what happened next?” A glass clattered in the background momentarily distracting the small group.

Chase sat back glancing at Blades furrowing his optic ridge at him. He wavered, his interest in going on as the sole narrator waning to nothingness. Blades took this as his cue to pipe up.

“Well... it was little more than two years since the incident the shook Earth to its core took place I think. Time had gone by in a blur. Though I suppose it gets a little harder to keep track of things when your processor has been banged around as much mine. Not that there's anything up there anyway.”

“You might consider putting that vacant space to use and rent it out; we could use the extra shanix, Blades.” Chase bit out trying to make some kind of humorous joke and failing miserably. Engex was to blame for his sudden bout of flavorless humor.

Blades shoved Chase to the side, “rude”. A chuckle followed by their captive audience. He was more surprised Chase had even gone to make the joke and let his intakes sputter as he laughed with mirth. There was a little humor in it even if it stung his feelings. His attention snapped forward after the short interlude. “We drove a lot, like… a lot.”

“Yeah kind of got that impression. So what did that fleshy, Hank, see anyway that was so unnerving? Had the Decepticons trailed you? Also, whatever happened to Dan and gram-cracker?”

“Dani and Graham, not graham cracker.” Chase was quick to correct the other mechs misunderstanding.

With a laugh Blades gestured to himself. “Me actually, no the Decepticons hadn't followed us. They never even bothered trying to find us, but uh, yeah and no, Cybertronians weren't exactly a common sight on Earth. Despite what had gone down in Griffin Rock.” There was a pause as he stopped to reclaim himself. When it became clear he wasn't going to be able to resume himself as lubricate threatened to spill a black servo landed on his shoulder and Chase resumed with a steely expression.

“Earth's officials decided to cover up the incident as an ‘experiment gone wrong’ when the Decepticons seized Griffin Rock's resources after removing anyone and everyone they deemed in the way of their conquest. Anyone that somehow managed to survive the incident, like Dani and Graham, or us, were spared. Any and all news regarding the island was covered up. As far as humanity was concerned the general public would never know of us.”

“And look you both now, sitting at a table among different fractions.” The coy tone danced in the air with amusement. “Surely since it was capable of being covered up it couldn't have been that many Decepticons. Anyway what would they want with an Island and why couldn't you fight them? There were what four of you? Five? What about the big guy?”

“We can't fight, we're not built for it. That didn't stop us from trying and a lot of good that did us. If we'd just surrendered maybe-”

“We don't know what would have happened, but I have reason to believe we would have simply been deactivated with the others had we not left when we did. While I don't like what we had to do, I believe it ultimately was for the best.” Chase tightened his grip before relinquishing his servo over his friend's shoulder.

Clatter among fizzled around the table they sat at while a few bots that chose to sit with them listened to their story. A cherry red bot with crimson optics sat forward with a particular interest. Long glistening talons strummed the table. He hummed as he decidedly waited for the rest of the answers to follow suit and a worthwhile conclusion to this story that appeared to be going nowhere.

“Griffin Rock had reserves of energon, many in fact.”

“Don't forget the tech.” Blades interjected.

“You mean to tell me Megatron valued anything on that primitive rock?” This had the red mech scoff incredulously as he shook his helm.

“You may find it hard to believe, but Griffin Rock despite being human governed was very much advanced. It may not have been Cybertron, but it wasn't far off the mark. A few more years and they would have exceeded our own scientific achievements. They were … amazing. I could only surmise had … Megatron … Gotten hold of the tech from the island we'd be having a very different conversation right now. If at all.” Chase sat back running a digit over the rim of his cube.

“Well if you ran than who prevented the 'cons from taking it?”

“The nuclear reactor that exploded taking out everything left on the island.” The new voice interjected.

“Dani!” Both the blue and mostly orange 'bots glanced down at the table with a smile.

“What on Cybertron is a human doing here?”

“So you're the flashy red doctor these two have told me about. You two didn't tell me I'd need sunglasses just to look at this guy. Geez, you could blind someone with that paint job of yours. It's so freaking shiny. God. Oh I'm Dani by the way.”

“Knockout …” Though he hesitated to get closer and even pulled his drink back along with himself as he leaned away from her.

“I thought you wouldn't be back for another gro-uh-hour.” Blades waffled between terminology briefly as he settled at the table and let his blades drop behind his back.

“Change of plans, but don't let me break up the band just cause I came by early.” She could see the two shifting a little. “Or I can go, I'm sure there's a perfectly willing 'bot that wouldn't mind going for a drive.”

This seem to perk Knockout's interests a little, even though he tried to remain composed.

“Well, we were discussing the incident.” The incident is how Chase referred to the night their lives as they knew it ended, and those they loved and cherished perished in such an untimely and cruel demise.

“Oh … That. Well then I am going.” Dani turned on her heel the subject was a sore spot and despite the allure of hanging around a bunch of drunken mechs they were no different than being in a bar full of drunken men. No matter what planet or species she was surrounded by guys sitting around recounting war stories just wasn't her thing. Especially stories she was grossly involved in.

“Actually, I was kind of wondering if you could tell us what happened when Hank came around, you know the day he kind of realized our little secret?” Blades probed his digits together like a mech about to pop the big question as he shrank in his seat.

“You mean when you fragged up and blew our slagging cover?”

“Whoa, the oral unit on this one.” Knockout nearly fell out of his seat cross between amused and horrified. “I see you taught your pet the finer parts of our language.”

“Call me that again, I dare you. I'll do to you what I did to that guy over there.”

“Dani.” Chase was mortified though at a loss as he glanced around. Wondering what in sweet merciful Primus the woman could have done. He almost missed the mech running around with a shrunken helm.

Blades beat Chase to the punch and cleared his vocoder, “you used the minimizer again didn't you”. He wasn't even surprised at this point. She held onto that thing for years and had placed it to good use. Although this particular case seemed a little over the top. Chase was likely gearing up for a lecture that would have made Ultra Magnus proud.

“Listen you plus sized can opener; I'm no man or mech's,” she was quick to add, “pet”. She stood firm having acquired quite the small gathering of disturbed onlookers. Garnering more attention than either Blades nor Chase wanted. “I'll be on the other side.”

“Feisty little thing.” Knockout let his optics trail her until she properly left before glancing at the two with amusement before chuckling.

“Don't get any ideas.” Blades warned.

“Moi? What do you expect me to take your little,” he paused and gave it a quick amendment in his processor before continuing lest he end up with a deformed helm like the mech currently wandering around, “friend… As if. Still how in the name of Primus did she get here?”

“Spacebridge.” Blades replied watching as Chase walked off. Likely to have a nice chat with her. “We're still stationed on Earth, but make occasional visits to Cybertron when we can.” He mumbled a little toward the end feeling uncomfortable getting left alone. Look like the tab was on him now.

“Oh you poor things, you're still stuck on that miserable speck of dirt?”

“It's not that bad.”

Knockout cocked his helm.

“Okay it has some moments, but really it's actually nice.”

“You cannot be serious?”

“Hey you have not been to Earth until you've watched Cake Hoarders and gotten a full detail done on your interior.” Blades mused, “Earth might have dirt, but it has also got roads, and really, really, really good music. The pros outway the cons.” He snorted.

“Hmn, well you've got me there. They do appear to have a knack for designing automobiles. I suppose it isn't that bad, but the dirt really is a deterrent. Not to mention your little friend... and your drink is very empty! Keep!” Knockout waved his servo for another round.

“Wait I…”

“It's on me. Maybe it's the high grade speaking, but I really truly feel badly for _you_. Honestly having to live with one of those things. It must leave smudges everywhere”

“She's actually really nice. Granted she really likes speeding. A little too much for my liking, but no she's not like her brother.”

“A speed enthusiast?” He'd have commented on the latter too, but was far more intrigued by the prospect of a possible racing buddy despite the difference in species.

“You'd get along with her, I mean, you know if you didn't hate people so much.”

“I don't hate people, I hate humans. Specifically annoyingly rude little opinionated loud mouthed humans. What did she do to that mech over there anyway? What happened to his helm?”

“Tell me how you really feel.” Blades rolled his optics, he could have left, but he was actually friends with the mech. Granted their friendship had sparked out of the strangest of meetings. It actually started during the whole horrible mess. Or rather toward the end of it. They were friends pure and simple. Chase never really understood, or even really approved given his fraction. Despite having left the Decepticons he was still weary of the ex-con. “They really aren't bad. Well okay some humans are, but she isn't. Hey, are you just trying to get me drunk?”

“Drunk?”

“Coined by Earthlings, when you've had too much to drink.”

“Oh I like that word. Guess I can give them that too-no.. no I'm drink. I mean drunk. I mean, here's your drink, start talking. Don't let me babble. Weren't you going on about the whole Hank guy that saw you? Something about coffee and primitive communication devices?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's happening. I know it took me years-literally years, to get around to finishing this. However, I've been dying to get around to this for a long time. Between losing the original work I had on this chapter and forgetting (yes forgetting) where I had intended to go until I did eventually stumble upon some notes. I'm going to finish this piece. I might have lost my steam, however, I do intend to finish this. I never leave anything unfinished. No matter how terrible the result, I'll finish it! That much I promise. ٩̋(˘ᴖ˘)و ̑̑  I hope despite the wait and the turn of the tone people enjoy where this goes. I've recalled the idea I had in mind and I really hope the shifting in the story works out. Thank you all that have subscribed/bookmarked with the interest of seeing this progress further. I hope you enjoy!


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